SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.–From the first day position players arrived for spring workouts, the lawn beyond the left field fence at Scottsdale Stadium acted as a drivable green on an easy Par-4.

Not every Giants’ player peppered the green with consistency, but left fielder Hunter Pence found himself crushing balls toward the flagstick, or the large light pole resting comfortably beyond left center field, with regularity.

The intense whipping motion from Pence’s bat even sounded like a golfer following through with a driver, but unfortunately for Pence, batting practice was his equivalent of the range. When the lights came on and spring training games started, his stroke was nowhere to be found.

As the oldest player on the Giants’ roster, Pence will turn 35 in mid-April. A former ironman who twice played in all 162 regular season games, Pence enters the final year of his contract facing questions about his durability and whether he’ll be able to hold off hard-charging competition in left field.

An early spring flu didn’t help Pence’s cause, zapping his energy and costing him at-bats. Neither did an adjustment he made at the plate.

“I tried earlier this spring a closed stance and I was working on that, but I actually hit better when I’m open,” Pence said. “That’s the adjustment that I made. I opened up and stopped trying to force it the other way and just trusted my path.”

After starting the spring 1-for-18 with 10 strikeouts, Pence opened up his stance and altered his approach. He’s not necessarily concerned with where his front foot lands anymore, but he is focused on regaining his comfort level and confidence. When he stopped trying to go the other way, Pence finally hit an opposite-field single.

“I was a little off balance,” Pence said. “Really jumpy for awhile and I think that’s part of the timing.”

On Sunday, Pence played in his third straight game, and in all three plate appearances, he maintained his open approach. In his first at-bat of the day, Pence finally drove the green, launching one of the most majestic drives of the spring.

It was a grand slam.

“He got the big blow today, the grand slam, that’s what ended up winning the game,” manager Bruce Bochy said after the Giants’ 5-4 win over the Padres.

If Pence’s mid-spring adjustment helps the veteran leader flip a switch, Bochy will have a variety of ways he can structure the team’s lineup against both left and right-handed pitchers.

After hitting just .260 last season, 22 points below his career average, it’s unclear whether Pence can still hit toward the top of a lineup that became deeper with the acquisitions of Andrew McCutchen and Evan Longoria. If Pence does produce and live up to expectations, though, the Giants can pencil him into one of the top two spots in the order against lefties and slide him into the lineup around the sixth or seventh slot, behind Brandon Crawford or Brandon Belt, against right-handers.

In the event Pence struggles, the Giants have created an intense competition behind him so that the club has more depth moving into the 2018 season. Last year, Jarrett Parker became the 10th different left fielder to start on Opening Day for the Giants since Barry Bonds last played, and this year, Pence is slated to begin the year as the team’s regular starter.

However, Mac Williamson and top hitting prospect Chris Shaw have both produced impressive results at the plate this swing, which gives the Giants options to turn to down the line. While certain veterans might see depth as a threat, Pence has embraced the younger left fielders as assets who can help the club reach its desired destination.

“He’s been really good as far as taking me under his wing, so to speak,” Shaw said. “Learning the position, he exclusively calls me Keanu Reeves now which god knows why, but he’s just funny. He always keeps it light.”

While Shaw will start the season with Triple-A Sacramento and could force his way into a platoon role by the middle of the year, Williamson’s hot bat this spring is increasingly difficult for Giants’ decision-makers to ignore. Though he still has a Minor League option and can play everyday in Triple-A, a revamped swing has helped Williamson lead the Giants with 14 hits and 13 RBIs this spring.

“(Williamson) is such a strong athlete and now he’s got kind of a foundation that he can trust his swing and it’s been proven with a lot of these hitters,” Pence said. “They’ve done this and come out and hit a lot of homers in the season, so I think it’s very special.”

In an ideal world for the Giants, both Williamson and Shaw would force their way into the conversation at the big league level through strong performances against Minor League pitching. But if Pence’s mid-spring change helps the Giants’ veteran take off, Bochy will allow the team’s most experienced player to continue leading by example.

After a 98-loss season for the Giants and a tough year at the plate for Pence, the club and the player are in win-now mode. If opening up does the trick at the plate, the Giants will happily close down left field and allow Pence to roam freely.

Kerry Crowley is a multimedia beat reporter covering the San Francisco Giants. He spent his early days throwing curveballs in San Francisco’s youth leagues before studying journalism at Arizona State University. Kerry has covered every level of baseball, from local preps to the Cape Cod League, and is now on a quest to determine which Major League city serves the best cheeseburger.